Outdoor Explorers
Take a hike, why don’t ya? We mean that literally! In our City in the Forest, there are so many opportunities to explore the outdoors. Come on out for these Atlanta Science Festival events, taking place March 8-22, for guided hikes and outdoor exploration!
Science Escape Room Trail at Mason Mill Park | March 8 – 21
Presented by DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs
Solve nature challenges along the Mason Mill boardwalk in this escape room-style nature adventure! Take a beautiful 1.5 mile walk on this stroller and wheelchair useable boardwalk. Along the way, you’ll be faced with 10 challenges, riddles, and tasks that, once completed, will allow you to solve the puzzle, “escape” the boardwalk, and win a prize.
This self-guided hunt will be available each day of the Festival from dawn to dusk, so stop by any time during the event window!
No registration necessary
Presented by Georgia State University – Department of Geosciences, Stone Mountain Memorial Association, GSU Clarkston Campus Earth Club
Millions of years ago, a massive magma chamber cooled below the ground just outside of what is now Atlanta, never erupting through to the surface. Today, we call it Stone Mountain. Join folks from Georgia State University Geosciences on a hike to explore this unique granite dome, learning about the rock and what makes this spot in Atlanta so special, including indigenous stories and cultural connections. You’ll also be able to ‘walk’ a Giant Traveling Map of Georgia, explore rock and mineral specimens, ‘track’ dinosaurs, identify fossils like a paleontologist, and learn about famous stones quarried from Georgia in monuments and buildings across the U.S. and beyond!
No registration necessary.
Presented by The Amphibian Foundation, Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve
Come on out to Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Decatur and witness wildlife with the Research Team from the Amphibian Foundation.</a> Become ‘citizen scientists’ and perform an amphibian ‘bioblitz’ inventory of the preserve documenting salamanders and frogs in one of the greatest strongholds for amphibians inside of the perimeter! It’s fun for the whole family!
Be sure to bring your cell phones to upload images of what we find to iNaturalist.
Wildflower Walk | March 15th
Presented by Fernbank Museum
Spring has sprung in Fernbank Forest! Join us for a small group walk to celebrate the buzz and blooms of the season. During the walk, you’ll learn to identify the different kinds of native wildflowers found both in the forest and around Atlanta!
This event repeats multiple times on the 15th and 21st. Check the schedule for more information.
ID the Trees! | March 15th
Presented by DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs
If Atlanta is really “The City in the Forest,” then shouldn’t we know what kind of trees surround us? Join DeKalb County’s Ranger Jonah for a walk all about trees! We’ll take a stroll through Mason Mill Park and learn techniques for identifying trees by their bark, leaves, flowers, and fruit. Find out how to tell a Loblolly pine from other native pines! From the common water oak to the rare winged elm, come fall in love with trees at this awesome county park!
Tiny Monsters of Sibley Pond | March 15th
Presented by National Park Service, National Park Service, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Join the National Park Service staff for a tiny monster hunt! Discover the extraordinary bio-diversity of strange, weird, and amazing creatures that live in Sibley Pond. Search through leaf litter, dig through detritus, collect critters and more! This is a hands on, get your fingers dirty field investigation. What tiny monsters will you find lurking in Sibley Pond?
This event repeats on March 16th.
No registration necessary
Discovery Walk: Emory University | March 15th
Presented by Science ATL
Science is all around us, often hidden in everyday places – where we live, where we play, and where we walk. Come explore one of these spaces with our latest Discovery Walk map of the Emory campus. Lucy, our Emory Discovery Docent will lead you on this 2.5 mile route through campus with ten intriguing science stops. Bonus – the walk ends at the Carlos Museum and your map will get you free admission!
Please note this walk is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
Nature Navigators: Arabia Mountain | March 15th
Presented by Science ATL
It’s a special edition Nature Navigators – for ASF! We’re headed out to one of Atlanta’s most unique habitats: Arabia Mountain. A perfect place to explore the rich history and ecology that Atlanta has to offer; from the history of the quarry to the unique specimen that call the mountain home, like the iconic red elf orpine! Expect a slow saunter through the woods with stops for observation and exploration.
Trees Atlanta Tree Trekking Challenge | March 15th
Presented by Trees Atlanta
Atlanta’s urban forest has a wide variety of trees for you to discover! Search high and low for trees and other native plants on this cooperative, family style scavenger hunt. Using iNaturalist, you and your family will explore the campus of the Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse and surrounding area, finding native plant life and earning prizes. Come early and bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds of the Kendeda TreeHouse! Bring your device with iNaturalist downloaded or we will walk you through the process.
Roadside Geology | March 16th
Presented by Georgia Mineral Society
Tag along with two geologist-educators to see the beautiful building stones and folded natural rock layers of Midtown Atlanta, on a tour from Symphony Hall to Rhodes Hall! Dr. Bill Witherspoon, co-author of “Roadside Geology of Georgia,” teams up with highly sought guest speaker from Georgia Mineral Society (GMS), Bill Waggener, to interpret the stories that rocks tell. Plus, get a GMS grab bag, included with the cost of admission!
This event repeats on March 20th.
Urban Slug Walk | March 16th
Presented by Georgia State University – Department of Geosciences
Feeling sluggish? So are we! Come on out on a slug filled adventure where we’ll use our eagle eyes to search for these slimy and fascinating creatures, and learn all about them as we hike through a local city park! Download the iNaturalist app beforehand, and we’ll use that to identify what we find and contribute data to the Atlanta SLIME (Snails and slugs Living In Metropolitan Environments) project.
Presented by West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA)
Grab a passport and come explore science amongst familiar, yet new terrains! Join the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA) and some of our partners for our outdoor and trail-tastic fair – passport style. Take a hike at our 22-acre urban nature preserve on Bush Mountain to learn about forest biodiversity, plant/animal/insect identification, soil, art and crafts, and music of the outdoors.
This event repeats a second time on the 19th.
